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1949 Map of Paducah

Name: 1949 Topographic Map of Paducah
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1949
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1949

About this map

The confluence of the Ohio River and the Mississippi River at Cairo forms the strategic center of this mid-century survey, where Illinois, Kentucky, and Missouri meet. This is a landscape defined by its major waterways, as the Tennessee River and Cumberland River join the Ohio near Paducah and Smithland. To the north, the industrial character of Southern Illinois is evident in the cluster of mining and rail towns like Herrin, Marion, and West Frankfort, alongside the newer waters of Crab Orchard Lake.

Upland terrain such as Bald Knob and the Shawneetown Hills rises above the alluvial bottomlands and the Cache River basin. Extensive transport networks, including the Illinois Central RR and Louisville & Nashville RR, connect river hubs like Metropolis and Cape Girardeau to the interior. The map captures the region before the full expansion of the Kentucky Reservoir, showing the traditional river-oriented economy at its peak.